The Mountains of Caradhas
by V.M. Bell
Summary: When Gandalf receives a sudden spark of inspiration on the mountains of Caradhas, he must leave the Fellowship alone...and trapped in a cave holding more than anyone could have expected. Lord of the RingsLord of the Flies crossover.


The Mountains of Caradhas  
  
He thought of those peaceful winters in the Shire, the swirling flakes flitting about, the Hobbit-children ecstatically greeting the year's first snow.the pleasant fantasies danced through his mind as Frodo Baggins of the Shire took another step forward and landed, yet again, waist-deep in snow. He peered up, wondering how high the peaks of Caradhas might be, but the freezing snow stung his eyes, forcing him to look back down again.  
The flakes lashed at his frozen body, and Frodo pulled his cloak tighter about him. His vision was severely limited; he could hardly see Sam in front of him. He knew that Gandalf was leading the way; Aragorn and Boromir were trying to help Merry and Pippin in the back.Gimli was even further behind.where was Legolas? A figure in green swept past him; Frodo glared jealously. He had forgotten Elves could walk on snow, even in a storm like this.  
"This is impossible," Sam moaned, leaning against the mountainside and resting his sore limbs.  
"We must keep going!" Gandalf commanded, rounding on the Hobbit, but Sam remained unmovable.  
"We aren't going to go anywhere in this sort of weather, Mr. Gandalf," he insisted. "I can't see a foot in front of me, let alone where we're supposed to be going."  
The rest of the Fellowship echoed his opinions.  
"Like I've said all along, Gandalf, we should have gone to Moria!" Gimli said almost cheerily, but Aragorn shook his head.  
"We'll have to keep on this path if we're ever going to get anywhere," Gandalf said, pulling up his cloak to continue walking.  
Sam, however, refused to change his views.  
"I'm going nowhere until this snow stops," he pouted, giving the snow that packed the side of the mountain a good punch. "It's too hard to - WHOA!"  
"SAM!" Frodo spun around, prepared to do anything to save his friend from whatever danger he had fallen into, but his urgency almost immediately turned into relief and annoyance. "What have you gotten yourself into?"  
Sam stared up at him sheepishly from what seemed like a rather large hole, though not too deep by the looks of it.  
"Looks like a cave of some sorts. It's a whole lot warmer than out there, though, I can tell you that, and we could probably get a good fire going in here as well if we moved farther in."  
The Fellowship, at Sam's words, eagerly jumped into the relatively temperate cavern, shivering from the cold. Gandalf, however, didn't seem too excited about the new discovery and was deep in thought.  
"You coming?" Pippin asked brightly, looking happier than he had been for days.  
"It's just." he mused, "I was simply wondering why." Suddenly, his face contorted into a revolted grimace, startling the hobbit, and his tone changed entirely. "Pippin, I need you tell the rest I won't be able to join them."  
"But.Gandalf! We need you! You're the wizard, and you're always here to help people! Like when Mr. Bilbo went on his adventures with the Dwarfs, you saved them!"  
"Ah, but the wizard has other businesses to attend to. So, get in there, and I'll lock you in."  
"Lock us in? And what other business?"  
"It has to do with Saruman, now be off!" Gandalf shouted, brushing Pippin away.  
Although feeling thoroughly confused (that name, Saruman.he thought he had heard it some place), Pippin did as he was told, gathered his things, and went off to join his companions, who seemed to have ventured a bit farther into the cave. However, having always been a rather inquisitive Hobbit, he couldn't help but look back. A white sheet had covered the opening. He approached the makeshift door and rapped on it with his knuckles. It sounded almost hollow, and Pippin tried to break it, ramming his body into it repeatedly, but he failed to make even a dent in the covering. They were, as Gandalf said, locked in.  
The cave, as it was, was more like an underground labyrinth, passages branching off to Ilúvatar knows where. The darkness frightened Pippin, but trying not to succumb to his irrational fears, he fixed his sight on the dim light in the distance. This lead him to the rest of the Fellowship, who were devouring what seemed like a rather small but delicious meal by the fire.  
"Pippin!" Merry called out, spraying breadcrumbs over a disgruntled Boromir, "There you are! We thought you had blown away, what with all the wind! And where's Gandalf?"  
The stares of the others seemed to be asking the same question.  
"Well," he started uncomfortably, "Gandalf.he said he had something else to do."  
"What, something more important than destroying the One Ring?" Boromir murmured sarcastically.  
"Um, I don't know, actually.he said it had something to do with Saruman."  
Before he could tell them about being locked into surroundings with which they were completely unfamiliar, however, Aragorn exploded.  
"WHAT? Saruman? The traitor!"  
"Is he the one who trapped Gandalf on top of the Tower of Orthanc?" Frodo asked in such a manner that contrasted the hostile group.  
"Yes," Aragorn continued through gritted teeth, "and the one who delved so deeply into the arts of the Enemy he is now a part of the Enemy."  
For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the flames for Pippin had to wait before he could continue.  
"Oh, and Gandalf locked us in using his magic," he said, trying to sound as if being trapped in unknown surroundings for who knows how long couldn't be worse than frolicking through the Shire on a sunny day.  
"That was expected," Aragorn replied nonchalantly, though with a hint of seriousness that couldn't be overlooked. "He wouldn't leave us without protection, now, would he? With him off to Isengard, which is where Saruman resides, the journey could take a while. He, or anyone else, could attack us. Hiding and barring us in the cave is for our own good." He got to his feet and paced around the fire, leaving an uneasy silence. "Well, since it seems like we're going to be here for awhile, we ought to come up with some way of keeping track of everyone, even though there are only eight of us. We have no idea how large this cave could be."  
"We could use the Horn of Gondor!" Boromir exclaimed, bringing out the treasured item. "Whenever we need to meet, someone could blow it and everyone would head in that direction! I'm sure it could be heard from anywhere."  
"Well, I doubt that last claim, but using the horn. it does sound like pretty good idea," Gimli said, stroking his beard, "but would you be able to relinquish something so precious to our leader?"  
"Leader?" Boromir looked revolted. "What leader? The horn is mine, and it shall stay that way."  
"Are you then claiming you are the leader of the Fellowship?" Aragorn asked, laying his hand on his sword. "Might I remind you that Gandalf trusted the task of the Company to me if anything happened to him. Now that the Grey Pilgrim is no longer among our number, I see it fit for me to become your leader."  
"Then would you dare touch the Horn of Gondor so long as I am still alive?"  
Sensing the growing tension between the two Men, Frodo called out, "Maybe we should have a vote to decide on this issue."  
"Right, a vote!" Pippin chatted, acting as if he was discussing a petty matter over afternoon tea. "Just like back in the Shire when we were children - "  
" - and we couldn't agree on what game to play," Merry finished. "Yes, I like Frodo's idea. A vote! A vote!" Pippin and Sam took up his chants of, "A vote!" as the Fellowship looked on warily. "So, it's your call, Frodo. A vote, then?"  
Boromir didn't seem too content with the way everything was happening, but Frodo nodded. "Alright, then," he said, "for Aragorn?" The hobbits raised their hands, though Sam did a bit meekly. Apparently, he still didn't completely trust Aragorn for giving them a scare back at the Prancing Pony in Bree. "That's four, and for Boromir?" Gimli and Legolas raised their hands this time, showing no hesitation in their decision. "Well, seems like the decision has been made. Aragorn is our leader!"  
Cheers rang out through the cave, but echoed eerily. Grumbling, Boromir handed the horn to Aragorn, who carefully put it around his waist and reassured him, "The horn will be safe as long as it remains with me."  
"Since we don't have much more food from Rivendell left," their new leader told them, "we'll need to have someone to search for something to eat, and if there's anything alive in here other than ourselves, to hunt." He turned to Boromir, pretending to be completely uninterested. "Would you like to be the head of the hunters?" Trying not to look too happy, Boromir nodded vigorously. "And.Gimli, Legolas.will you help him?"  
"Of course," Gimli said, looking down at his axe while Legolas viewed his bow with utmost respect.  
"And speaking of food," Sam said gruffly, "I'm still hungry. Let's go explore!"  
"Exploring, exploring! Just like wandering through - "  
" - Farmer Maggot's fields, but without his nasty dogs - "  
" - so can we come with you?"  
"It's nothing to get excited about, I promise," Aragorn said. "Boromir, since you'll need to know the caves pretty well, you can come with me.and Frodo."  
"Why not me?" Sam asked. "I'm in good shape. Mr. Frodo's tired, what with the Ring and all that. He needs his rest."  
"It's okay, Sam, he'll be fine, I assure you. Hobbits are made of strong stuff, and Frodo here is no exception. Oh, and while we're gone, could you put a little bit more wood on the fire? We'll need something to look for when we're coming back."  
The brightened fire nevertheless grew dim as the three of them traveled further into the uncharted depths of Caradhas. Frodo could soon hardly see anything, his vision quite as bad as what it had been on the mountain with the howling snow and wind. Soon, however, he felt as if the clouds hovering about him had abated, revealing a golden sun. He stared up and saw a pinprick of light, hardly anything, but enough to have attracted his attention.  
"Aragorn," he said quietly, "look. See the light up there?"  
"Yes, I do. It must be another opening to this cave. Do you think there's anyway up there?"  
"Over there," Boromir said, pointing to a rock formation off to the side, roughly shaped into what could pass for a set of stairs. "We could walk up those. It might take you that high."  
Loathe as he was to climb even more (maybe he should have taken Sam's advice and stayed behind), Frodo followed Aragorn up the roughly-shaped stairs, still intrigued by the patch of light that was growing larger and larger with each step.  
It was more than just a patch. The hole seemed roughly equivalent in size to the one Sam had fallen into not so long ago. Aragorn cautiously raised his hand, exposing it to the frigid air, but immediately pulled it back down.  
"This must be one of the higher points of Caradhas," he said, warming his hand. "Saruman would never be able to find it; the snow's too thick."  
"Well, if it's too thick, then what good is this here?" Boromir asked.  
"None at all, so can we move on?" Frodo interrupted. "I'm cold, and unless you Men have thick furs hidden under those cloaks, I'm rather sure you're just as cold."  
Heeding his advice, Aragorn led them back down the rocks. Just as he reached level ground, a squealing something crossed their path. Whipping out his dagger, Boromir chased the - what was it? - and halted only when Aragorn shouted, "Stop!" and placed a restraining arm around him.  
"What are you doing? I was about to kill it, and you stopped me!" he hissed, throwing off Aragorn's arm.  
"It's not worth chasing an unknown creature.yet, anyway."  
"I know what it is! It's a pig! And if you had let me kill it, we would probably have something to eat tonight, other than that stuff from Rivendell."  
"Look, you're our hunter. You'll have plenty of time to kill whatever you like."  
Boromir was still muttering to himself but obediently followed back to where the remainder of the Fellowship sat waiting.  
"What did you find?" Sam asked, looking a bit put out he had been left out of the exploring.  
"Well," Aragorn reported, "there's an opening further up, but you can't see it through the snow that's blowing around, so we won't have to worry about it."  
"And there are pigs!" Boromir exclaimed, his eyes glinting furiously by the light of the fire. "There's food!"  
"Food? Can we eat?" Merry said.  
"Patience, little hobbit," Gimli whispered.  
"We would have a decent dinner if Aragorn hadn't stopped me!"  
Yet another argument broke out between the two Men. Frodo, exasperated at their useless bickering, waved his arms in the air, trying to attract their attention, but Sam took the initiative and snatched the Horn of Gondor off Aragorn's belt and blew it, silencing all voices. The sound that sprang from the horn was deafening, and Frodo was sure he saw a few little rocks fall from the ceiling.  
"What are you doing with my horn?"  
"Trying to shut you up, that's what! We can't do this, all this screaming and fighting. We're never going to last this way; there's got to be at least some order. The.the horn! How about that? Whoever has the horn is the only person allowed to talk, okay? No interrupting or butting in."  
"It's my horn, and a relic of Gondor! You're just this little Hobbit. Why should I give it to you?"  
"Because," Aragorn said, infinitely calm, "the only way we're ever going survive is if we work together. Aren't we the Company of the Ring?"  
This amazing statement shocked them all into silence, until -  
"I'm scared, Aragorn."  
"Why is that, Pippin?"  
"There's a monster in the cave! I've seen it, I swear!" he yelled.  
"There is!" Merry echoed. "We've seen it!"  
"Nonsense," Boromir scoffed, waving his hand about absentmindedly. "Now, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to rest for a bit."  
Gimli murmured in assent, and soon, much of the Fellowship was nodding off into sleep (was that Sam snoring.or was it Pippin?). Maybe it was the words about a "monster" or something else, but Frodo, although his body ached for rest, was unable to close his eyes, for fear of.what was he afraid of?  
* * * It couldn't have been morning yet, but he was sure a slight glow was emanating from outside, bleeding through the wall Gandalf had created. Almost unaware of where he was going, he followed the light, tripping over rocks, but his head still fixed on a point somewhere ahead of him.  
He reached a stone that seemed like it would make an adequate chair. His musings drifted back to home, the gold fields he forsook.  
Outside, the sun rose, casting a pink glow over the mountains and the Ring that lay upon his chain. 


End file.
